UFC 2009 Undisputed: Career Mode Hands-on

In the last several weeks we've gone in-depth with the Ground Game Mechanics, the different fighting styles, and our general impressions of the fighting in UFC 2009 Undisputed. One all-important game mode that has remained in the dark is Career Mode, the quintessential feature that has you build an up-start brawler and take him through the ranks with the hope of being crowned champion before all is said and done. I'm here to remove some of that mystery.

UFC 2009's Career Mode begins modestly enough with the standard creation mechanics. You select height and weight (which in turn puts you in your set and unchangeable weight class), meld your face and hair color, paste tattoos wherever you like, pick a nickname for Bruce Buffer to belt out, and select your fighter's place of origin. You'll also need to decide on fighting techniques, attributes and skills which essentially dictate how you're going to play UFC 2009.

I was a little bummed with the limited selection of hair colors and the lack of sliders to really nail down that perfect look. As it stands Nate "Big Nasty" Dog is sort of like my genetically unrelated step child. But I'll love him all the same.

From there you're thrown into an introductory bout against some no-name. There's no Joe Rogan, no ringside atmosphere, just you in a gym pounding on some guy's face. Regardless if you win or lose, you'll then get a rousing speech from what is supposed to be Dana White's character model (though it doesn't match his look at all) about what it takes to be in the UFC. The voiceover is solid work and it does a decent job of prepping you for your first professional fight, but the look of White is poorly done.

Pretty much everything in the Career Mode is controlled through your calendar and e-mail system. This is where you'll decide when to train in relation to the proximity of your next fight, what events you're going to attend, what sponsors you're going to sign, and a number of other pivotal decisions. The two main attractions for the UFC diehards out there are obviously going to be the fights and, almost more importantly, the training.

Training is handled in a few different ways in UFC 2009. Standard strength, cardio and speed training is a simple menu selection. There are no lifting or running mini-games, instead you decide on the intensity of your training, which then impacts your overall stamina, and your attributes will increase accordingly. As you progress through your career you'll earn updated equipment so each training session is more impactful.

Then there's sparring. This is where you actually earn attribute points to build things like grapple striking offense, standing strike defense, and submissions. Your trainer gives you two specific things to work on for each sparring session and you'll need to vary your sparring partners depending on the style of your next opponent. Sparring feels like the most authentic of your training options.

Lastly, every so often you'll be given an invite to the UFC Camp. This is where you'll improve your fighting technique and earn new moves. The camp invites don't happen all that often, so you'll need to take advantage of them. I've had a bit of an issue progressing passed the first level for my fighting style thanks to the complexity of the tasks you'll need to complete.